Sensitive
by Nixia
Summary: Captured and being held as a bargaining chip, Elena must somehow escape the clutches of Katherine, whose desire for freedom has pushed her into making a deal with Klaus. However, as the day for the exchange draws closer, Elena finds herself questioning the unexpected feelings that now plague her fragile heart... and whether Katherine feels the same way about her.


He was confused. As simple as that may sound, Damon Salvatore stood at the entrance of Elena Gilbert's bedroom looking puzzled. The room was empty. It was clear to him she wasn't home, nor was she at the school as he along with his brother thoroughly searched the campus for her whereabouts. He didn't want to believe that she would just up and leave, yet a letter he found downstairs said otherwise.

He felt his chest ache from the words in the letter, feeling as though someone pierced his heart with several small splinters, for not even a week had gone by when they both had finally come to a mutual understanding regarding their feelings for one another. But apparently, their heart-to-heart chat meant nothing to her as she had already decided to turn her back away from this town along with everyone in it.

Damon ruffled his hair in frustration as he paced around the bedroom. He couldn't exactly blame her for wanting to leave the only home she'd ever known. He recalled very clearly the overwhelming shock that washed over her face as she took in the sight of her brother's corpse. It would forever serve as a constant reminder that he had failed to protect the last of her family.

Sighing, he looked over the letter as he repeated the words he had read, and pain flickered in his eyes, so much they almost started to water.

"She's not here," His brother's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"I know."

"Maybe she-"

"Save it brother; I don't wanna hear it," Damon dismissed with a waved hand and proceeded to look out the bedroom window, gazing out into the moonless night. His brother couldn't possibly understand the emotions coursing through him.

"So you're just gonna stand there and sulk?"

"Who's sulking?" Damon snickered in an effort to hide his pain. "If she doesn't wanna be here with us, that's fine with me," he shrugged casually.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"I need some fresh air."

"Wait," Stefan pleaded but his brother had already sped off into the night. It was only now he caught sight of a crumpled up piece of paper where his brother previously stood.

* * *

Elena's eyes fluttered open and closed shut, her mind was in a bit of a daze and her body felt strangely exhausted for reasons unknown to her. "...Where am I?" Her voice sounded raspy, yet it was obvious she was genuinely confused as to her current location. It was at this exact moment the vehicle she was in passed by a sign informing her that she was now leaving Mystic Falls.

In denial, Elena scrubbed a hand over her eyes as she was certain this was nothing more than her eyes deceiving her.

Katherine rolled her eyes and looked at Elena who was in the passenger seat of the vehicle, she had hoped her doppelganger would've remained unconscious so that she could have a peaceful drive, but of course, nothing went according to plan these days.

"Great you just had to wake up," she grumbled.

At the sound of her familiar voice, Elena's eyes snapped open and slowly turned her attention towards it, and for a moment, she thought her eyes were once again playing tricks on her, but the sick smirk Katherine sported seemed all too real. "Y-you!" she stammered, sitting up quickly. "Where are you taking me?!"

"Why don't we play the guessing game?" Katherine suggested, humming as she tapped her fingers against the car steering wheel; an action that greatly annoyed her doppelganger.

"Stop the car and let me out," Elena hissed, but her demand was ignored as Katherine merely chuckled, no doubt finding some form of amusement in her doppelgangers' tone.

Rolling her eyes, Elena reached out and took hold of the steering wheel in hopes of pulling the car over, but Katherine's quick reflex prevented her from doing so. What surprised Elena, however, was the bruise forming on the same wrist Katherine had grabbed; she has not had a bruise since her days as a human.

Elena's expression had instantly changed. Her face was tight, tense, and there was an uncharacteristic hardness in her brown eyes as she tried to guess how this was possible.

Aware of what was going on through her doppelgangers' mind, Katherine quirked an amused eyebrow. Her mouth had opened for a response, but instead surprised Elena when she broke into a fit of giggles; the oblivious look she was receiving from the human only served to further amuse the vampire.

"When ingesting the cure, you became human, Elena," Katherine enlightened. "If you want my expert opinion on the matter, you're better off as one; the world doesn't need a vampire who still clings to their humanity."

Elena had ignored the brunette's opinion, instead was feeling disappointed in herself for failing what she had set out to do. She then stole a wary glance at the driver of the vehicle as she wondered if Katherine was perhaps planning on killing her; Elena didn't know if she would be able to endure the feeling of uncertainty for long.

"Relax, you're worth more to me alive," Katherine answered the unspoken question, troubling the human. Elena took a shaky breath, unconvinced, but didn't voice it. She was just thankful her life still possibly held some value to her evil counterpart.

Sighing softly, Elena leaned back into the seat and gazed out her window at the passing trees as Katherine continued to drive them further and further away from her home and friends. She doubted she would ever get to see them again, especially an icy blue-eyed man who often times had a sassy remark that left her insides churning with desire.

Despite her current situation, Elena found herself blushing at the thought of being rescued by 'him'. It was no secret he held feelings for her, but Elena had long opted to ignore them in favor of a more calm and relaxed life. She knew how dangerous his love for her could be, and if she were being honest with herself she had to admit it was somewhat frightening to know that he wouldn't hesitate to end someone's life if they were to even lay a finger on her.

Yet it was that very over-protectiveness that excited her, made her feel wanted, but she was well aware their love would consist heavily of reckless passion. Which was something she didn't need in her life at the moment, for revenge was her top priority.

Sniffling slightly, Elena brought a hand up and wiped away the tears that had begun to trickle down her cheeks as the horrific memory of her brother's lifeless body invaded her mind; how the flesh around his neck had been savagely torn into, drained of blood. Both her hands balled into fists while her teeth clenched tightly together in anger, inwardly wishing she was a vampire again when realizing how powerless she now was compared to her brother's murderer.

"Why?" Elena suddenly asked.

Katherine sat up straighter, but said nothing, merely raised a brow quizzically, her eyes emitting confusion.

Seeing this, Elena unfastened her seat belt and shifted in place so that she was giving Katherine her full attention. "Why did you kill my brother?" she repeated herself, unable to hide the desperation in her voice. But the vampire in question stayed silent, unsure of what to say, she knew this was gonna be asked sooner or later.

"Why did you kill my brother?" the human inquired once again with growing exasperation. Katherine is the reason she no longer has any family. Her Aunt Jenna was killed due to her betrayal, and now Jeremy was gone as well. Elena's body shook with an uncontrollable rage, and she continued glaring at the vampire, eagerly awaiting her response.

While she did force-feed Jer Bear to the immortal, she didn't kill him. "Technically, it was Silas," Katherine corrected, trying to stay focused on the road. Her peripheral vision suddenly picked up small movements in the passenger seat but was too late to react as Elena grabbed the steering wheel and crashed them into a large tree.

* * *

For what seemed like hours of being unconscious, Katherine shifted awake, groaning, and her eyes slowly but surely opened as she recovered from the unfortunate incident. Her gaze lingered towards the passenger seat, hoping to see her doppelganger was okay, but was met with an empty space. It was at this moment she noticed the hole in the front window of the car as if someone went through. Startled by this Katherine quickly unfastened her seat belt and hobbled towards the front of the vehicle.

Katherine wasn't surprised when she spotted Elena leaning against a tree for support, glaring at her with undefined hatred. It was then Katherine noticed a small trail of blood trickling down her doppelgangers' forehead causing Katherine to worry as her ticket to freedom was injured.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Katherine bellowed as she closed the gap between them and proceeded to closely inspect the small gash on the human's forehead. She sighed in relief as the injury didn't look life threatening.

"That was a very stupid thing to do," Katherine hissed. "You could've been killed!" Elena had looked as if she wanted to say something but instead decided to reserve whatever strength she had left. It felt strange to hear Katherine of all people worried.

"Drink," Katherine insisted with an annoyed look on her face as she used her nails to prick a small hole in her wrist, afterward offering the exposed wrist to the human in hopes of healing and relieving her injuries.

The vampire's sudden gesture succeeded in confusing Elena as she still wasn't sure why Katherine wanted her alive. She had somewhat expected for Katherine to lash out and harm her...not ensure her safe recovery. Which only raised questions. Elena was certain Katherine had ulterior motives, and not knowing what they were further managed to plague the confines of her mind.

Brought out of her thoughts with a sudden groan from the vampire, Elena reluctantly drew closer to the still dripping wrist, feeling a sense of disgust rising up within her. She loathed the thought of having to feed on Katherine, but couldn't argue against it as her body did feel heavily weakened from the car crash.

And without wasting any more time Elena's mouth connected to Katherine's wrist as she began drinking her blood in small quantities.

The blood tasted different from what Elena had been accustomed to. Over the years, she'd fed on the Salvatore brothers on numerous occasions, but their blood paled in comparison to the warm liquid seeping from Katherine's wrist, for it had a distinctive taste in which surprisingly allured her.

As Elena found herself trying to savor its unique flavor a sudden moan escaped Katherine's mouth, causing Elena to choke on the blood she was consuming and pull away. She wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her, but upon noting the stunned expression on Katherine's face, Elena knew that wasn't the case.

"There's a bar a few miles up the road," Katherine said though having trouble keeping herself composed. It didn't help that her doppelganger was staring at her like she grew a second head. "And stop looking at me like that," she hissed.

Needless to say, Elena obliged, not wishing to incur the vampire's wrath.

* * *

The arrival at the local bar had been sudden, for Katherine had said she did not want to waste any more precious time getting as far away from Mystic Falls as possible. The place didn't seem all that big, but it held a certain vibe to it as Elena found herself cautiously looking around and noticing all the attention they were receiving from some of the older men who stopped what they were doing to whistle and applaud in their direction.

"Don't mind them, sweetie," Katherine giggled with a gleam in her eye. "My performances usually leave them wanting more."

"Performances?" Elena repeated.

Katherine cocked her head towards the direction of the stage, "That pole and I have quite the history," she said, causing Elena to huff and look away, visibly disgusted.

"Katerina," an older man greeted from behind the counter while pouring himself and her a drink. "You're late." His eyes slightly narrowed as he gestured her over. Katherine giggled as she snatched the glass out from his hand and batted her long dark eyelashes at him.

"Don't act like you're not excited to see me again Antonio!"

"I was looking forward to your arrival," Antonio admitted, "but that was _earlier_ today," he snapped at the brunette.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I would have been here on time, but unfortunately, my doppelganger crashed our vehicle into a tree!" Elena gulped at being mentioned and briefly met the bartender's curious gray eyes before looking away.

"Wow...you weren't kidding when you mentioned how similar you both look," the bartender spoke, staring intently at both brunettes. He chuckled as the younger of the two fidgeted nervously under his scrutiny. "Such innocence. I'm finding it rather hard to believe she is of your bloodline Katerina."

If looks were able to kill, Elena was certain this bartender's life would have ended with the deep scowl Katherine was sending his way.

"This little girl isn't as innocent as you may think," the vampire argued before taking a look around the bar. "Where's my witch?"

"Gone."

"What do you mean gone?!"

"I suggest you lower your voice," he warned while tilting his head to a nearby table where several people were trying to listen in. "It's as I said before, you were late. Agnes gathered her supplies and left presumably home; that old witch has never been one to stick around past her appointed meeting."

Katherine's teeth clenched as she inwardly cursed her doppelgangers' foolish actions; had the little girl not crash them into a tree then she would have been here on time to meet her witch. Before she could snap at the brunette an amused chuckle escaped from the bartender.

"Don't get so upset Katerina," he chuckled, "I'm sure you could schedule yourself another meeting with Agnes. In the meantime, you are more than welcomed to stay over at my place while we catch up; I'm curious to know if the rumors I've been hearing are in fact true."

Katherine looked towards her doppelganger once more and back to her old friend, and as much as she would've liked to take Antonio up on his offer she'd have to decline; meeting her witch and getting a cloaking spell placed on Elena was top priority. Katherine knew she only had a few days at most before her doppelgangers' friends realized she was no longer in Mystic Falls.

"We'll catch up another time," she assured him with a wink and had then pulled out her cellphone. "Mind babysitting while I make a call?" He sighed before nodding. "Good," she said with a smirk.

Elena glared at the retreating form of Katherine, her mind still filled with thoughts of revenge.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Elena glanced to her side, eyes narrowed, causing Antonio to sigh once more before going back behind the counter and pouring himself a glass of whiskey. He had wanted to make small talk but wasn't quite sure how to go about it as it was obvious he and Katerina were friends.

* * *

"How bold of you to call me." Katherine stiffened suddenly at the sound of 'his' voice. "Could this possibly be the day you've lost all sense of reason? Or perhaps you've decided to turn yourself over so we can finally end this ridiculous chase?"

Katherine bit her bottom lip as she fought the urge to sarcastically retort. "I have something you want," she said, which elicited a deep chuckle from the other end of the line. "This is actually something you have wanted for over five hundred years."

"Something I've desired for over five centuries you say? And what, pray, might that be?"

Katherine smirked as she leaned up against the restroom wall. "I shoved the cure down my doppelgangers' throat; now she's human, which means you could now give me some breathing room?"

There was a long silence over the phone as he pondered what could only be described as rather shocking. If what was said turned out to be true, then he'd be one step closer in creating his own personal hybrid army; a goal that had long been put on hold due to Katerina's stubbornness in accepting her inevitable fate.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked as he remained rightfully skeptical of the nature of the phone call. Was Katerina perhaps playing a trick on him? No. The girl wasn't foolish enough to contact him with false information.

"It looks like you're just gonna have to take my word for it."

He clenched his fists as anger threatened to consume him. "I suppose you're right," he begrudgingly admitted. "I'm in Mystic Falls at the moment and don't plan on leaving for another two weeks. I trust that won't be an issue?"

"Two whole weeks?" Katherine puffed out her cheeks as she digested this.

"I would hate to have to cut my time short with Caroline to fetch a vampire-turned-human doppelganger," he snapped, quickly losing his temper.

"It won't be any trouble," she assured, "but ensure you keep your end of the deal from our last negotiation, okay?"

"Yes, yes, you and your crazed obsession with _freedom_," the hybrid sneered over the phone. "I assure you it will be granted upon delivery. I will contact you with further details as soon as I have the time to make the arrangements for the exchange."

"I won't let her out of my sight," Katherine replied, satisfying the hybrid's worries.

"Oh, and one last thing. I would prefer this conversation stays between us. Wouldn't do me any good if Caroline were to find out her dearest friend was within my grasp, now would it?"

"My lips are sealed, toodles," Katherine chirped, thus ending the call, afterward frowning in consideration: what the hell was she supposed to do with her doppelganger for two whole weeks?

* * *

When the opportunity arose, Elena found herself pushing way through many people as she quickly raced for the back door exit of the bar before Katherine returned; she knew she only had a few minutes at most before they realized her disappearance, so that alone gave her the determination to put as much space between her and her kidnapper as possible.

She pushed the door open, using a bit too much force as it flew back and hit the wall, and continued to walk through a dark, narrow passageway. It was there thoughts of her friends back home would once more occupy her mind and cause hope to slowly build up within her at the idea of reuniting with them. She could already imagine the scolding the Salvatore brothers would have for her upon her return for making them worry.

"Look what we have here!"

Elena stopped at the sound of someone's voice, cursing her luck as the exit to the alley was merely a short distance away. She looked from side to side, closely watching as two middle-aged men slowly approached her with what she could only assume were ill intentions as one of the men currently had a hand over his private area with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"This poor girl doesn't have tits or an ass!" The man sneered as he drew ever closer, "but I'm sure we could work with that, am I right my friend!" He asked, prompting the other to laugh as they surrounded a frightened, human Elena.

A wave of shivers erupted throughout her body, the heart beating in her chest increasing with every passing second, and suddenly this did not seem like the quick escape she had envisioned. The whole situation seemed surreal that this would even be happening to her. One of the men would go on to roughly pat her on her butt and then laugh as she slapped his hand away from her, fear clearly seen in her eyes.

"Oh...the fun we're gonna have with you," He further cackled with laughter, but then abruptly stopped causing Elena to stare in horror as his head rolled off of his shoulder and his body fell onto the ground. In his place stood Katherine who was pouting at the blood that had gotten stuck between her freshly manicured nails.

"Unbelievable," Katherine murmured while shaking her head. "I leave you alone for five minutes and already you find yourself in this predicament?" Her eyes snapped up towards her doppelganger, once more triggering a quiver of fear through the young girl.

"I-I," Elena stammered at a loss for words, staring from her would-be savior to the remaining man who was equally horrified at the decapitated body of his friend. It was then she realized she hadn't actually been saved, but was merely back into the arms of her evil doppelganger who was no doubt finding amusement in her situation.

"You-you bitch!" Shouted the man who charged at Katherine with a pocket knife in hand, only to find himself held up by the throat and turned forcefully around so that he was facing the young brunette. He attempted to pry himself free but quickly realized he wasn't escaping the firm grip she had him in.

A burst of shock filled Elena's expression at what was surely going to happen next. "Stop!" she pleaded, but her plea was ignored as Katherine's eyes beamed with pleasure as she licked her lips and drove her hand through the man's chest, removing his heart.

"By any chance, you weren't trying to put distance between us, were you?" The curious voice of Katherine sounded directly behind her. Elena spun around and was met with Katherine's questioning stare.

"This is kidnapping," Elena murmured with pleading eyes.

"Oh sweetie, don't think of it that way; I prefer to think of this as family bonding time," Katherine sneered. "Now what am I to do with you?"

Elena's attention flickered towards the end of the alley as she seriously considered making a run for it, but decided against at the last moment as she doubted she would be able to outrun a vampire of all creatures.

"Please let me go, I won't say anything, promise." Katherine raised a brow, and her doe eyes rested on Elena thoughtfully. She had no intention of allowing her doppelganger to leave, the little girl was foolish if she had gotten her hopes up. The human's actions have indeed cost her precious time, and Katherine felt a punishment was in order to ensure her doppelganger realizes that.

"Place your hands on the wall and spread your legs," the vampire abruptly ordered.

"W-what?"

Katherine's lips curved upwards in a slow, sarcastic smile as she stepped around the worried human, confusing her furthermore. "Place your hands on the wall and spread your legs; I won't ask nicely again."

Elena pondered it a brief moment. The realization would quickly dawn on her as to why Katherine would ask this.

Her cheeks flushed and her heart beat had once more increased, thumping away as an uncomfortable silence followed. Fearing for her safety, she complied with Katherine's strange request. Her legs slowly parted as she placed her hands on the graffiti-stained walls and awaited further instructions.

"I don't have anything on me," she stated after a short while.

"I'm well aware."

Elena quirked a brow. "If you aren't gonna search me, then why do you want me in this position?" she asked while glancing over her shoulder. Her eyes slowly widened as she saw Katherine unbuckling her belt.

"K-Katherine, what are-"

_Smack!_

Elena blinked and then blinked again when realizing what just occurred, and in a moment of unbridled weakness, her emotions had become overwhelmed by Katherine's actions. "Ouch! What do you think you're doing?!" she snapped, glaring at the vampire.

"Punishing you," Katherine stated like it was common sense. "Now turn back around so I could finish. And be sure to keep your hands on the wall."

"Punishing me?" The human repeated with disbelief, clenching her fists. "Screw you; I'm not-"

Elena didn't dare continue as Katherine was suddenly in her face, staring long and hard. The vampire cocked her head towards the wall, eyes narrowing slightly as if daring the human to disobey her. Once more fearing for her life, Elena reluctantly turned her back to Katherine and placed her hands on the wall, her bottom stiffening in fear of what was to surely come.

_Smack!_

The belt connecting with Elena's ass had echoed throughout the narrow passageway, along with a pained whimper as her grip on the wall loosened as she fought the immense urge to massage her behind.

_Smack!_

The belt would once more connect to her skintight denim jeans, eliciting a sudden wail from Elena as she looked over her shoulder with tears brimming in her eyes. The tears that threatened to fall weren't from the punishment she was receiving but from the anger and embarrassment of what was currently being done to her bottom.

"Does it hurt?" Katherine genuinely asked from behind her. Elena gritted her teeth, her hands tightening their hold on the brick wall as she inwardly fought with herself to angrily retort, but merely shook her head.

Katherine raised the belt once more, and in response, Elena tensed and looked to be waiting for the inevitable contact.

_Smack!_

"It does hurt you doesn't it?" Katherine whispered, her mouth close to Elena's ear so that she shuddered when she felt her breath lingering on her face. But Elena would once again shake her head, remaining stubborn, refusing to give her kidnapper any form of satisfaction. Katherine, however, wasn't buying the tough demeanor her doppelganger tried to put up.

"This spanking you experienced was punishment for you crashing our car. Now let's go; it's beneath us to be in such a place." Katherine walked away with a sway to her hips. She looked over her shoulder, gesturing her doppelganger to follow her back into the bar.

Not wishing to invoke further punishment, Elena limped over to Katherine, silently praying a certain blue-eyed Salvatore would rescue her.


End file.
